The Ultimate Guide to DIY Weed Brownies (8 Recipes)

I know it would be easier to buy a box of brownie mix, but your cannabutter deserves better than that, and so do you. 

Nothing against box brownies — they’re the rare instance when I say box mix is better than homemade. But these recipes stand out from the rest and are worth the (minimal) time and effort. 

The Most Important Ingredient: Cannabutter

Without cannabutter, you have nothing more than a pan of brownies. That’s still a reason to celebrate, but let’s be honest. We’re after more. 

Here’s a rundown, but check out our full-length article on how to make cannabutter for the details. 

How to Make Cannabutter

1. Deacrb the weed (optional but recommended)
2. Add the weed, butter, and water to a pan.
3. Simmer for one to three hours.
4. Strain through a cheesecloth into a container.
5. Allow the butter to cool, then separate it from the water. 

From here, store the butter in an airtight container. Test the potency by trying ½ teaspoon — and then waiting 1 ½ hours — before adding it to anything, and assume it’ll be stronger than you think. 

You’ll need to figure out how much cannabutter to use in any given recipe since substituting all of it might be a bit much. Opt for ¼ to ½ cup, depending on how potent you want the end product to be.

The Best No-Stress Weed Brownie Recipes 

Not all brownies are created equal, and not everyone has the same tastes. It turns out some people actually prefer cakey brownies or actively seek out the edges. It’s fine. You do you. We can agree to disagree on this one. 

Of course, you can always buy a box mix and just use cannabutter for some or all of the oil it calls for, but baking from scratch gives you all the glory — no one needs to know how easy the following recipes are. 

The secret to the best-tasting brownies is to use Dutch process cocoa powder — it has a deeper chocolate flavor and is closer to the box mixes. I use Hershey’s Dark cocoa powder, but there are other brands.  

1. Fudgey Weed Brownies: Better Than Box Mix

If you’re in the fudgy brownie camp, good for you. You made a wise choice. This recipe is all you need, even without cannabutter. Swap it out for regular butter or oil to indulge in brownies that won’t get you high. Or if you have a family gathering and don’t want to share your special brownies. 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup cannabutter
• 1 cup chocolate, chopped (or use high-quality chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ (176℃) and grease an 8×8 pan.
2. Melt Turtle Weed Brownies and chocolate over low heat, stirring often. Do not overheat.
3. Add sugar and stir until smooth.
4. Whisk in cocoa powder.
5. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.
6. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out mostly clean. 

Note: This recipe does not call for flour, baking soda, or baking powder. It’s not a mistake. Trust the process.

2. Cakey Weed Brownies

If you like cakey brownies, that’s ok. I love and accept everyone, regardless of their brownie preference.

Here’s a great recipe that any brownie enthusiast should enjoy. 

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup cannabutter, softened
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and/or walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350℉ (176℃) and grease a 9×13 pan.
2. Heat the sugar, cocoa, and cannabutter in a saucepan over low heat until melted, stirring often. Allow to cool.
3. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. 
5. Add the vanilla, eggs, and milk, then stir carefully. Don’t overmix. 
6. Add chocolate chips or walnuts, if desired.
7. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. 

3. Keto Weed Brownies

You can eat healthy and still enjoy weed brownies. Here’s a basic recipe, but feel free to change the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine almond flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cannabutter
• ⅔ cup granulated erythritol, monk fruit, or other keto sugar
• 2 eggs or 2 flax eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ (176℃) and grease an 8×8 pan. 
2. Combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, stir the melted butter and sugar until fluffy.
4. Stir in the eggs one at a time.
5. Add the vanilla.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. 
7. Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. Zebra Weed Brownies

Zebra brownies have a cream cheese mixture swirled into them. Mix the following ingredients together and use a spatula to carefully fold it into the pan of brownie batter and bake as usual. The key is to not overmix it.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

5. Turtle Weed Brownies

Gooey caramel, chocolate chunks, and chopped pecans on top of brownies — what’s not to love? Unless you’re allergic to pecans. 

Here’s how to make them. 

Ingredients:

• ¼ milk 
• 1 (11 oz) package of caramel chews or pieces (or use a warmed caramel dip)
• 1 cup of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
• 1 cup of pecans

These are just suggested amounts. Adding extra caramel, pecans, and/or chocolate wouldn’t be over-the-top. 

Directions:

• Add the milk and caramel to a saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring often.
• Pour the caramel over the baked brownies so it covers them.
• Sprinkle the chocolate and pecans evenly over the top.

6. Peanut Butter Weed Brownies

Follow the brownie recipe outlined above, with this additional layer to put in the middle to create these delicious Reeses-wanna-be brownies. 

Ingredients for the peanut butter layer:

• 1½ cups (405 g) creamy peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) cannabutter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (227 g) powdered sugar

Directions:

• Melt the peanut butter and butter(s) and stir.
• Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing to form a dough.
• Roll or pat the dough using parchment paper so it fits the brownie pan.
• Pour half of the brownie batter onto the pan and lay the peanut butter dough on top. It’s okay if you do it in pieces. If there isn’t enough batter, just lay the peanut butter on the bottom and cover it with the brownie mix.
• Pour the rest of the brownie batter on top and bake. You may need to extend the cooking time. 

7. Cookie Dough Brownies

These are a favorite even without the cannabutter. There are two ways to do this: bake the cookie dough or leave it raw. If you want to do the latter, just leave the egg out, heat the flour in the microwave for 30 seconds, and top the baked (and cooled) brownies with chilled cookie dough. 

Otherwise, just drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on the brownie batter, bake as usual, and allow extra time in the oven. This cookie dough recipe is awesome even without the brownies. Drop the dough in uniform sizes onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350℉ (176℃) until the edges are firm and the tops are golden.

Cookie dough ingredients:

• ½ cup cannabutter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine cannabutter and both sugars until fluffy.
2. Add the egg and stir until smooth.
3. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Add the flour and baking soda to the butter mixture and stir until combined. 
5. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

How to Figure Out the Dosage Per Serving

There’s an easy way and a hard way to figure out how much THC is in a brownie. Ironically, individual preference decides which is which. Some people like math but don’t want to be overly high. Others like the “how-much-THC-is-in-here” game and are willing to take risks — as long as it doesn’t involve math. 

Neither is incredibly accurate. There are too many variables with how much THCA is in the flower, how much converts to THC, and how much THC is infused into the butter.

Here’s how to do both — but whichever you choose, remember that edibles hit differently and last longer than many other methods, so be careful and assume they’re stronger than you think. 

1. Use Math & Get An Approximate Amount

You’ll need to know the flower’s THC percentage for the most accurate number. Then, use this equation:

(Grams of cannabis) * 1000 * (THCA percentage in decimal form) * 0.88 * 0.7 = THC in milligrams

This accounts for what’s lost during decarbing and the infusion. 

Once you know how much THC is in the butter, you can work out how much THC is in the butter you used (and therefore the whole batch) and then how much is in each serving. 

2. Careful Experimentation

You’ll be able to figure this out easier if you’ve made edibles before or have plenty of experience with weed. Test the cannabutter by trying ½-1 teaspoon on bread, then wait an hour or two and see how you feel. This will help you gauge how much cannabutter to use in a recipe. 

Once your brownies are done, try a small piece to see how potent they are. There’s a fine line between the perfect dose and too-high-to-function.

Other Important Tips Regarding Weed Brownies

Baking, in general, is an art. Add cannabutter to the mix, and it’s suddenly even more nuanced. There are certain things to be aware of at every step of the process, but here are two crucial things you don’t want to overlook.

1. Evenly Distribute the Cannabinoids

How sad would it be to eat a weed brownie and not feel anything? Hours slip by, and you’re filled with disappointment. Your friends are having fun — or are miserable because they got too much. You can prevent this by stirring the cannabutter before measuring it out and then incorporating it evenly throughout the batter. 

However, you don’t want to ruin the brownies by over-stirring the batter, so mix the wet ingredients thoroughly before adding them to the dry ones. 

2. Label The Finished Product

It’s funny to think about unsuspecting guests eating weed brownies, but it’s not cool to do that. Make sure people know what they’re getting into if you decide to share.

Also, remember that kids and pets won’t know the difference, so keep all edibles out of their reach. 

FAQs: Cooking With Weed

We know there will always be questions, so here are the answers to some we see often.

1. Does heat destroy cannabinoids & terpenes?

Yes, heat (and light) can destroy both cannabinoids and terpenes. THC and CBD start to degrade at 320 ℉ (160℃), so limit how long you expose the flower or cannabutter to this temperature. 

2. What are other ways to use cannabutter?

You can use cannabutter the same way you use regular butter. Just be careful, and don’t surprise people with it. Be adventurous and try it on popcorn, pasta, sauces, or other desserts like Rice Krispie Treats or cake. You can even brown the butter for a nutty, toasted flavor that works well with almost anything. Just heat some cannabutter over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to brown. Remove it from the heat and drizzle it over whatever you want.

3. How long does it take for the effects to kick in when eating edibles?

Allow up to two hours for the effects to kick in after eating an edible. The time varies for each person, so be patient. After two hours, you can take a little more — but don’t overdo it.